nhs protestor prosecuted for protesting on train line

[whole diary]

[LiskeardRich]

assuming another thread exists for when this actually happened but cant find it, so mods please merge appropriately

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Patient-s-protest-costs-rail-network-pound-31-242/story-13428448-detail/story.html

A FRUSTRATED NHS patient delayed six trains and cost rail bosses more than ^30,000 by staging a protest on the train line.

Paul Lindsay-Jones claimed the health service failed to prescribe him the correct treatment for his attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Asperger's syndrome problems, Truro Crown Court heard on Tuesday.

Skilled negotiators had to talk the 48-year-old down from the Penryn Road viaduct at Redruth, where he sat on the parapet with his legs dangling over the edge for two hours.

Six trains were delayed for up to 114 minutes at a cost to Network Rail of ^31,242, prosecutor Julia Cox said.

Lindsay-Jones, of Green Lane, Redruth, pleaded guilty to trespassing on the railway and was fined ^200 plus a ^15 victim surcharge. Judge Christopher Elwen said only a financial penalty was available to the court and as the defendant was on benefits there was no point in ordering him to pay costs or compensation.

Defence counsel Deni Mathews said at the time Lindsay-Jones was disturbed by problems with his medication but had now been stabilised by his GP.

Judge Elwen referred to a report in which Professor Nicholas Birch spoke of Lindsay-Jones's frustration at the trust's failure to provide proper care.

"I can see you have experienced problems," said the judge. "But you caused hundreds of people to be seriously inconvenienced. That is not the way to deal with the frustrations you felt."

[Mookiemoo]

But having had depression myself due to life - you dont deal logically

I sat for close to 2 hours august bank holiday weekend 2009 on the friday cross legged on langley island platform - I didnt want to go home.  What stopped me was not wanting to be the nob who shut down the mainline the august bank holiday.  But I was close

But I knew enough not to dangle legs over platform whilst I was making my mind up - others dont

[Tim]

What stopped me was not wanting to be the nob who shut down the mainline the august bank holiday.  But I was close

Surely that proves that you did deal with it logically.

[thetrout]

I've deliberately avoided posting in this thread... But I think i'm going to bite.

As some of you know. I have Aspergers Syndrome. My partner does too and not only that, my sister does as well, but also has ADHD!

ADHD sufferers have a very high impulse gene. So in a nutshell, I seriously doubt the gentleman responsible was thinking very clearly in the suggested state. The impulsiveness of ADHD is more or less "It seemed like a good idea at the time" When in actuality, it probably isn't. You can moderate the severity of the impact with these conditions with medication, as is the case. But these things really need to be monitored very closely in order to be successful.

So whilst I agree that the way this chap dealt with things by trespassing on the railway was not a good thing and action should be taken. At the same time I can sympathise with him, as the support he clearly needed didn't appear to be there, and that I would say is also of great concern. I say this because the people supporting this chap shouldn't have allowed things to go as far as they did. With the right level of support and care, this could have all been avoided.

Having got my own Mental Health problems, I really do have an understanding of how these things can go wrong. I recall in 2004 when I had a nervous breakdown, my doctor put me on Prozac to treat the problem but then said come back in 3 months... The results within the first week lead to a similar situation that MookieMoo has posted... Fortunately, now in 2011 I have the support I need. But it only took me more or less 6 years to get there...

I'm sorry if I have opened a big tin of worms here. But having had very similar illnesses as this chap. I feel that i'm on the inside looking out, where as everyone else is on the outside looking in. All I'm saying is to the average person, there is alot more beneath the surface than meets the eye... I'm just offering a different point of view.

[LiskeardRich]

sadly the health care dont do anything until something like this happens in this country, and its a disgrace. I cant see them improving it anytime in the near future neither. A friend has a condition, and the NHS fobbed him off as much as they could. His parents then put the finances for him to have investigation into his condition privately, and he was diagnosed within a couple of weeks receiving top levels of help and support.

[Henry]

 As someone 'from outside looking in' despite this guy's problems, he seems to have made a concious decision
 to climb/walk a viaduct and cause disruption.
 I think this is totally different from the conditions mentioned where, unfortunately those affected are unable to make
 rational decisions.
 
 Totally agree with MM, perhaps a sign of our lifestyle, or drug-dependent GP's.